Who is God?

Wow, what a loaded question!  Most of us have some sort of understanding and description of God, but how do we really know who God is?  I mean, we can't see God, although we see evidence of God.  It's hard for us to put into human terms that which encompasses all we know and experience.

But I'll try my best.  If you asked me this question 20 years ago, my answer would have some similarities to how I would answer today, but there would be drastic differences as well.  See...I've been growing and maturing over these past 20 years (I hope, anyway), and everything I have experienced has shaped me as a person.  All these experiences have also shaped how I understand who God is.

Sometimes I think a good way for me to answer who God is, is to say who God isn't.  For instance, God isn't bound by our human thoughts, emotions, and limitations.  Yet God comes to us, up close and personal, on a daily basis.  And, God isn't Santa Claus.  In other words, if I ask God for a pony, God won't 'make good' on my prayer only if I'm good.

Also, God isn't boring.  In fact, God is downright exciting, challenging, and quite an interruption to our daily lives.  Yet, I think we humans often downplay God by the way we try to squeeze God into our human thinking.  In other words, do we allow God to shape our lives and guide our thinking and actions?  Or do we go about life and ask God to line up with our plans, prejudices, and agendas?  I'm often guilty of the latter because I'm human.  So I have to seek out God, study God, and listen for God.  This is done when I am present with people, when I listen to, and interact with my neighbors.  I learn who God is when I share a cup of coffee and a story, when I listen to the dreams of a child, when I walk or run and truly take in the awesome wonder of creation, and when I thank God for the gift of my wife and daughter.

God can be found everywhere, but we often are distracted - by work (or lack of), bills, sports, vacations (or lack of), social media, TVs, cars, clothes, relationships, and...you get the picture.  But...God is also present in all the things I just listed.  Because God is everywhere.  And God cares about all that we do and experience.  So, who is God?  Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.  Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  Great One.  Abba.  I am. All That Is.  And on, and on, and on.  May we find out who God is today.  And, if we're here, may we start the process over again tomorrow.